Busch Pushed To Succeed In Truck Race

Colin Braun took the green flag for the Camping World Truck Series race at Talladega Saturday, but Kyle Busch took the checkered. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

RacinToday.com

With a push from behind from teammate Aric Almirola, Kyle Busch passed leader Todd Bodine just a couple of hundred yards from the finish line to get the victory in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway Saturday.

The victory in the Mountain Dew 250 was the sixth of the season for Busch, and his 15th in the series.

He had no sooner climbed from his truck in Victory Lane than he started to thank his Billy Ballew Motorsports teammate.

“I owe everything to Aric Almirola,” Busch said.

Busch was not just being nice. As the field steamed toward the checkered flag on the last lap, it appeared that Bodine had the victory bagged. But suddenly, a hole opened to the outside of Bodine, who was hugging the yellow line at the bottom of the track.

Busch moved up to the right and Almirola followed.

With Almirola pushing, Busch shot past Bodine for the lead and held it to the finish line.

“He can take half my pay,” Busch said, before reminding himself that he does not get paid by boss Billy Ballew.

Almirola finished second. He said he was happy to have had a hand in the victory, but wished it would have been Busch pushing him to the finish line.

He said he was disappointed and felt “some kind of bad” about coming so close to getting a victory but not getting it.

Bodine finished third. Terry Cook was fourth and David Starr was fifth.

Ron Hornaday Jr., the series points-leader, was caught up in a big wreck five laps from the end. He finished 17th.

Second-in-points Matt Crafton, who actually had the lead on the final lap before being moved back because he stayed with a slow line of traffic, finished 10th.